Employees at Walgreens pharmacies across the United States staged a walkout on Monday, protesting against what they perceive as unsafe working conditions in their stores.
CNN has confirmed the closures at Walgreens stores in Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and Arizona.
The staff and pharmacists at Walgreens have reported being understaffed and struggling to cope with the increased demands, such as clearing backlogged prescriptions and administering vaccines.
As a solution, the employees are requesting that the company hire more staff, be transparent about the allocation of payroll hours, implement mandatory training, and provide advance notice for both job openings and staff reductions at their stores.
In response, Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman stated to The Times that although “a small number of our pharmacies” have experienced disruptions, “nearly all of our 9,000 locations continue to serve our patients and customers.”
Engerman acknowledged the pressures faced by retail pharmacies across the United States and assured that Walgreens is actively listening to the concerns raised by their team members. He emphasized the company’s commitment to providing support and resources necessary for their pharmacy team to deliver the best care while maintaining their well-being.
This recent action follows walkouts by CVS pharmacy employees in Kansas City a few weeks ago.
An investigation by The Times last month revealed that Californians were suffering from errors at chain pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS due to overworked pharmacists. These pharmacists were expected to fill hundreds of prescriptions per shift, while also vaccinating patients, working at the cash register, and contacting doctors to verify prescriptions.
Pharmacies in California will now have to report prescription errors, thanks to recent legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Assemblymember Matt Haney, a Democrat from San Francisco, authored the bill, which also allows pharmacies to increase their staffing levels if they find their workload to be overwhelming.
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